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Labour · East Asia & Pacific · Low income

North Korea: the labour market

Labour force is 17.7m (2025), 39th of 187 in the world and 10th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Participation rate is 82.2% (2025), 7th of 187 in the world and 3rd of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Women's participation is 77.7% (2025), 6th of 187 in the world and 2nd of 29 in East Asia & Pacific.

Labour force17.7m2025 · world 39/187 · region 10/29Participation rate82.2%2025 · world 7/187 · region 3/29Women's participation77.7%2025 · world 6/187 · region 2/29Employment rate79.2%2025 · world 8/187 · region 3/29
Labour force
North Korea
12.0m14.0m16.0m18.0m1995200020052010201520202025North Korea17.7m
Participation rate
North KoreaEast Asia & PacificLow incomeWorld
50%60%70%80%90%1995200020052010201520202025North Korea82.2%East Asia & PacificLow incomeWorld
12 indicators

Labour: North Korea in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total17.7m202539/18710/2914.5m16.1m17.1m+5.1%since 20151.3bn267m3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+82.2%20257/1873/2982.2%82.1%80.6%+0.1 ppsince 201565.2%64.4%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+77.7%20256/1872/2977.9%77.7%76.3%+0.1 ppsince 201558.1%54.7%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)79.2%20258/1873/2979.2%79.3%77.7%+0.1 ppsince 201562.7%61.2%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)3.5%2025128/18713/293.7%3.4%3.6%±0.0 ppsince 20153.8%4.9%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)3.7%2025136/18713/293.9%3.6%3.7%±0.0 ppsince 20153.4%4.7%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)7.9%2025139/18716/298.0%7.5%8.5%+0.1 ppsince 201512.5%10.1%13.4%
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment37.9%2025145/18724/2937.7%38.4%37.3%−0.5 ppsince 201561.0%21.1%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)56.8%202547/1877/2957.0%56.3%57.5%+0.5 ppsince 201535.3%76.1%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment54.1%202520/1872/2955.8%53.7%54.5%+1.2 ppsince 201521.7%59.4%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment22.4%202563/18710/2926.2%25.3%23.1%−2.1 ppsince 201528.5%10.2%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment23.5%2025181/18729/2918.1%21.0%22.4%+0.9 ppsince 201549.9%30.4%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

North Korea and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with North Korea. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorNorth KoreaChinaRussiaSouth Korea
Labour force17.7m2025768m202572.8m202529.9m2025
Participation rate82.2%202564.6%202561.1%202564.4%2025
Women's participation77.7%202559.1%202554.5%202556.8%2025
Employment rate79.2%202561.6%202559.8%202562.6%2025
Unemployment3.5%20254.6%20252.1%20252.7%2025
Female unemployment3.7%20254.0%20252.2%20252.7%2025
Youth unemployment7.9%202515.8%20257.6%20256.7%2025
Wage workers37.9%202562.3%202593.7%202577.3%2025
Vulnerable employment56.8%202533.4%20254.9%202517.7%2025
China: labourRussia: labourSouth Korea: labour
Labour in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedLabour: low-income countries25 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesNorth Korea: all key statisticscountry profile